


'Twas the Night

by blackcoffee13



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Christmas fic, Clement Clarke Moore ain't got nothing on me ;), F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-16
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:40:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28000281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackcoffee13/pseuds/blackcoffee13
Summary: 'Twas the night before Christmas, and deep in their flatSeverus was hoping that his gift wouldn't splat.'
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Severus Snape
Comments: 34
Kudos: 62
Collections: Hearts and Cauldrons Gift Exchange





	'Twas the Night

**Author's Note:**

  * For [CRMediaGal](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CRMediaGal/gifts).



> For my dear, _dear_ CRMediaGal, a writer I've respected for longer than I can recall. Merry Christmas, my friend. I love you.

_Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house  
Not a creature was stirring, except for a mouse.  
Two stockings were hanging off the mantel with care  
Because the love of my life had placed them there._

Severus was staring at the words in front of him with a rather large frown, wondering just when he’d turned into such a _giant sap_ , rewriting his love’s favorite Christmas story as part of… Well, a rather _intricate_ plan to ask her to marry him.

Severus Snape did not do Christmas. He never had. He was the type to hole himself up in his quarters with a bottle of Ogden’s Finest and the latest issue of _Potions Quarterly_ and pretend the day didn’t exist.

Granted, once he’d become tenured at Hogwarts, he’d been sort of forced to interact with others on Christmas Eve during the annual holiday dinner, but he typically scowled the entire time and made his leave as quickly as he possibly could.

Enter Hermione Granger, War Heroine. Best friend to the sodding Boy Who Lived.

And absolute _lover_ of the Christmas season.

But, more importantly still, she was the woman who had won over his heart.

He was still a bit unsure sometimes on the details as to how and when she’d won it, but at the end of the day, his feelings towards her could not be questioned, and therefore he wasn’t going to.

Which was how he found himself in his current predicament.

He had his quill ready to scratch out the next line when he heard the door to their flat close, and he sighed before putting a hiding charm on the paper he’d been working on and then heading out from his office to greet his beloved.

She was unwrapping a large scarf from around her neck, her cheeks and the top of her nose rosey from the cold weather, and Severus couldn’t help the slight smile that twitched at the corner of his lips as he saw the snowflakes starting to melt in her hair.

“It’s snowing,” Hermione muttered by way of greeting, practically falling into Severus’ arms when he opened them to her.

“I see that.” He lifted a hand to brush it gently over her curls, careful not to disturb them too much for fear of making them frizz.

After nearly six years together, he’d learned a thing or two about how not to madden the beast that was her mane.

Hermione made a little snuffling sound as she pressed her face closer against his chest, tightening her hold on him as she did. “I think it’s supposed to get worse later…”

“‘Tis the season, I suppose… Though I don’t believe the weather is enough of an excuse to get us out of the Potter’s Christmas Eve dinner tonight, is it?”

“You know it isn’t,” Hermione sighed, tilting her head back so she could peer up at him. “We don’t have to stay all evening, of course, but we _do_ need to make an appearance. Besides, you wouldn’t want to leave Draco there all alone amongst a group of Gryffindors, would you?”

“Perish the thought,” Severus chuckled before stooping down to press a kiss to the crown of Hermione’s head. “I suppose I should allow you to go and refresh yourself, then? Surely you don’t wish to wear your work clothes to the Potter’s place?”

“Absolutely not,” Hermione giggled, though it was still another long moment before she pulled out of Severus’ embrace and started making her way towards their bedroom.

But she paused just before she crossed the threshold to turn and peer back at him over her shoulder. “...join me for a quick shower?”

She didn’t really need to ask him twice.

*

They made it to Harry and Luna’s with a few minutes still to spare, though Severus was thankful that Hermione had taken a bit of extra time to get herself ready for the party as it had given him a chance to finish writing the more-intricate part of his proposal.

It had also been long enough since their quick romp in the shower that the flushing of Hermione’s cheeks could easily be blamed on the cold.

Didn’t quite explain his smirk, but he wasn’t going to bother trying to hide it. Perhaps it would unnerve Potter…

Luna Potter opened the door, however, giving both of them large grins as she ushered them inside and offered to take their coats, magicking them away with a flick of her wand.

“Oh, good, you’re here! Ginny was worried that she’d made too much pudding, but I assured her that your sweet tooth would win out, Professor.”

“I haven’t been your professor in nearly ten years, Lovegood,” Severus chuckled, loosely wrapping his arm around Hermione’s waist. “But you know my sweet tooth well, it seems.”

“No ruining your dinner,” Hermione quietly teased as she came up on her tiptoes to press a kiss to his cheek before sliding out of his hold to go find Harry and Ron.

Severus had been about to tease back that he was an adult, and that if he wanted to eat pudding for dinner, he was allowed, but then he remembered the pudding incident last year and thought better of that idea.

A small bit before dinner wouldn’t hurt though… It would go well with the punch, he was sure.

It went a little _too well_ with the punch, he realized an hour or so later.

Thankfully, Hermione had that warm glow about her that said she’d been enjoying the punch as well, so Severus wasn’t going to feel guilty about it, and knew how to fake it when it came to what he put on his plate later. A couple of bites of everything to make his plate look full should suffice…

And, naturally, Hermione knew that trick and kept sneaking spoonfuls of various things onto his plate when he wasn’t looking. There was just… more food every time he looked down at his plate.

Eventually though, the food on his plate actually did vanish and he was able to recline in his seat as he enjoyed a drink while Hermione leaned against him, both of them taking in the warmth that surrounded them and flowed through them.

Draco and his wife Ginny were seated on Severus’ right, chatting with Ron and his husband Neville while Harry and Hermione were engaged in a rousing conversation with Luna about some new creature one of her coworkers had allegedly found.

And Severus, well… He was _content._ Content to just sit back and absorb everything that was happening around him, thankful that he had somehow become a part of this family that he couldn’t even fathom just a few years previously.

After dessert had been served and Severus was fit to pop with the amount of pudding he’d continued to consume, a final round of drinks was announced while the group did their gift exchange.

Severus thanked Luna for the little bauble she’d gotten for him though he didn’t have a _clue_ what it was, and her explanation of “it will help keep the Wagmadoodles out of your cauldrons” was of little help.

Hermione, rather unsurprisingly, got a book from Draco, though the way she lit up as she cracked open the cover…

“...this… Draco, this is _signed_!”

“What is it Hermione?” Harry asked, leaning closer to get a peek.

Hermione looked like she was about to start crying. “It’s um… It’s Dr. Seuss’s ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’ but… It was signed by the author.”

She lifted her head up so she could look Draco in the eye. “Where on _Earth_ did you find this?”

“I have connections,” he replied, though there was a hint of something soft in his gaze that undermined the proud smirk he wore at seeing Hermione’s reaction to his gift.

Severus made a mental note to upgrade Draco’s present to the _really_ expensive bottle of Ogden’s that was only available once every twelve years that very few people were even in the know about.

Not even Lucius had been in the know, so he doubted Draco was. It would be a nice surprise for him, Severus hoped.

And Draco deserved it based solely on the grin that Hermione was still wearing when she and Severus left the party a little while later, linked arm in arm as they walked towards the Apparation point.

The snow had started to come down in large, wet flakes as they got closer, the kind that stuck to eyelashes and the wild curls of Hermione’s hair.

Severus was utterly enchanted with her. Could barely take his eyes off of her.

Even when they returned home, and were curled up on the sofa together, Severus’ focus was solely on the witch in his arms.

Which gave him the feelings he needed to continue with his plan.

“I propose…” he murmured low in her ear, smirking at the faint shudder he felt ripple through her as she processed the timbre of his voice. “...a reading.”

She spun around just a hint so she could peer back at him over her shoulder, a confused look coming over her features as she fully processed both his words and the seriousness of his own expression.

“A _reading_?”

“Yes. I know you… Have a favorite Christmas story, and I thought tonight might be a good night for me to read it to you.”

Oh, but she did _melt_ at that, didn’t she? “...I think I’d rather enjoy that, Severus.”

“Good. I shall return momentarily, then.”

While he might’ve been slightly reluctant to disengage from her embrace, Severus knew he would be returning soon enough, and took off towards their bedroom, grabbing the new copy of _’Twas the Night Before Christmas’_ that he’d purchased before slipping his revised edition between the first couple of pages.

A short moment later, and he was once more seated on the couch with Hermione curled up against his side, her head resting on his shoulder, though - rather thankfully - she’d let her eyes slide closed so she could listen to him as he read to her.

“‘Twas the night before Christmas, by Clement Clarke Moore…”

“I _do_ enjoy this poem,” Hermione cooed from his side, and Severus chuckled even as he shushed her and told her to listen.

“Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house  
Not a creature was stirring, except for a mou-”

He could feel Hermione frown suddenly. “It’s ‘not even a mouse’ Severus.”

He shushed her again. “Now I need to start over. Just listen, witch.”

She grumbled a bit, but returned her head to his shoulder.

“Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house  
Not a creature was stirring, except for a mouse.  
Two stockings were hanging off the mantel with care  
Because the love of my life had placed them there.  
The Kneazle he slept in his bed by the fire  
While the mouse sniffed out the cheese of her desire.  
With my love in her jumper and I in one, too,  
My love only _thought_ **this** Christmas tale she knew.  
Quite suddenly she knew that things were awry  
When the words she heard weren’t from a mem’ry on high.  
Upon me she gazed, with her eyes full of wonder  
Curious, twould seem, of what spell I was under.  
By the look in my eyes, she’d know it was Love  
The kind of love we _both_ had been dreaming of.  
I know her eyes sparkle in the lights of our tree,  
I know her hair glistens, and her curls spring free.  
Her mind can’t be matched for wisdom or wit  
Her mouth can’t be matched once her mind does commit.  
My heart it does flutter when’er I draw near  
And my mouth’s no longer quick to curl in a sneer.  
“Now, Severus!” They say, when they do see me now.  
“Now, Severus, dear boy, how much lighter your brow!”  
From the top of my head, to the tips of my toes  
Somehow this witch loves me, even my ludicrous nose!  
As sure as I am of poultice and potions  
Less sure of I am of hearts and emotions.  
So here I do sit, with my heart in my hands  
Reciting these words with a hope that expands.  
A hope, my love wonders, a hope of what kind?  
A hope of some gift, or favor yet assigned?  
Nay, I do say! Those hopes are too small!  
My hope, you see, is much larger than all.  
Saint Nicholas knows of the wish in my heart  
Perhaps he is the one who encouraged this art.  
There is a box, my love, in your stocking just there  
I encourage you, go, and see what I share.  
Your steps - how they falter - because surely you think  
This gift is just leather that bounds up the ink.  
‘Tis not a book I wrapped with ribbon and bow  
But my heart into which your love you did sow.  
I see you now pulling out the small present  
That look in your eyes, my love, it is quite pleasant.  
I’m sure that by now you’ve figured me right out  
While from mem’ry, now, these quaint words I do spout.  
So much I could say, as kneel before you I do  
What more could there be, but “My dear, I love you.”?  
You’re the light of my life, Hermione my treasure;  
I ask of you now, to grant me one pleasure.  
Your hand I now clasp in mine but you see  
Much more I do hope is before you and me.  
My life, I now ask, may I entwine it with thou?  
For now and for _ever_ , dear Hermione, I vow:  
My your side I will stay, and your hand I will hold  
Your mouth I shall kiss, so you’ll never be cold.  
My heart it is yours, I pledge you my life  
Hermione, my heart, will you become my wife?”

Hermione was crying, cradling the little ring box she’d pulled out of her stocking in her hand, the hand he was holding gripping his rather tight as she locked gazes with him and opened her mouth to speak.

“I never thought-” she hiccuped, her voice hardly more than a whisper. “-I didn’t think you _wanted_ -”

“I do,” he assured her, lifting her hand to his lips so he could kiss her knuckles. “I very much want it with you, my love.”

And with those words, Severus suddenly had himself an armful of witch as Hermione threw her arms around his neck and kissed him _quite_ soundly, his chuckle half-muffled against her lips when he heard the ring box drop to the floor with a dull thud.

When she pulled back a long moment later, both of them a touch breathless, it was to lock gazes with him, her grin somehow larger than his when she held out the ring towards him.

“This sort of ring doesn’t belong in a box, Severus.”

“And where _does_ it belong, Hermione?”

“On the finger of your fiance, I should think.”

“Then allow me, my dear.”

Perfect the fit was, and how it shone in the light-  
“Happy Christmas-” Hermione smirked “you’re not sleeping tonight.”


End file.
